Resilient wheel for portable hospital cots, beds, wheelchairs, and the like



1964 .1 M. FELTON 3,15 27 RESILIENT WHEEL. FOR PORTABLE HOSPITAL COTS,BEDS, WHEELCHAIRS, AND THE LIKE Filed March 13, 1964 United StatesPatent 3,154,127 RESILIENT WHEEL FGR PQRTABLE HOSPITAL C(DTS, BEDS,WHEELCHAIRS, AND THE LIKE John M. Felton, 614 S. 17th St., Philadelphia,Pa. Filed Mar. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 351,807 1 Claim. (Cl. 152-102) Thepresent invention relates to wheels, and more particularly to resilientor yieldable wheel constructions for use on hospital beds, portablecots, wheelchairs or the like.

An object of the present invention is to provide a resilient wheel forportable hospital beds, cots, wheelchairs and the like wherein by meansof the wheel construction of the present invention patients may beconveniently moved from one location to another as, for example, in ahospital in such a manner that jolts and bumps to the patient will beprevented or minimized.

Another object is to provide a resilient wheel construction which isespecially useful in hospitals or other localities where sick people arebeing moved or handled since it permits the sick people or patients tobe moved with minimum discomfort and, for example, permits the patientsto be moved after an operation in a gentle manner so that, for example,stitches in the patient will not become broken due to jolts and jars orbumps so that the persons on the device equipped with the wheels of thepresent invention can be transported or moved with increased safety andcomfort.

Still another object is to provide such a resilient wheel that iseconomical to manufacture and efiicient in operation and which is ruggedin structure and foolproof in use.

Further objects and advantages are to provide improved elements andarrangements thereof in a device of the character described that iseconomical to produce, durable in form, and conducive to the mosteconomical use of materials and uniformity of members formed therefrom.

Still further objects and advantages will become apparent in thesubsequent description in the specification.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the resilient wheel for portablehospital beds, cots, wheelchairs and the like, and with parts brokenaway and in section.

FIG. 2 is a view generally similar to FIG. 1 but showing the position ofthe parts when a weight is applied thereto as, for example, showing theposition of the parts when the weight of a patient is on a bed or cot orwheelchair equipped with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 20 indicates a resilientwheel for portable hospital beds, cots, wheelchairs or the like,constructed according to the present invention, and the wheel 20includes a centrally disposed hub 21 which is adapted to be suitablyconnected to a member such as an axle which forms part of a hospitalbed, cot, wheelchair, or the like, and as shown in the drawings there isprovided a plurality of spokes which are indicated generally by thenumeral 22, and the spokes 22 are disposed radially around the hub 21.The spokes 22 each have the same construction and each includes a hollowcylindrical sleeve or housing or cylinder 23 which has its inner endsuitably affixed as by Welding as at 24 to the outer periphery of thehub 21.

The numeral 25 indicates a circular rim which comprises an intermediatewall portion 26, FIG. 3, and the rim 25 further includes side wallsections 27 which are arranged angularly with respect to the wallportion 26, and the numeral 28 indicates a tire of yieldable materialsuch as rubber which is mounted in or on the rim 25.

The outer end portions of the cylinders or sleeves 23 are threadedexternally as at 30. The wall portion 26 of the rim 25 is provided witha plurality of spaced 3,154,127 Patented Oct. 27, 1964 ice apartapertures or openings 29 therein, for a purpose to be later described. Acap or closure 31 is arranged in threaded engagement with the threadedportion 30 of the cylinder 23, and the cap 31 has an opening 32 thereinfor the projection therethrough of a rod or stud 33. The numeral 34indicates a head or piston which is formed integral with or secured tothe inner end of the rod 33, and the head 34 is movably mounted withinthe cylinder 23. As shown in the drawings, the head 34 is rounded so asto facilitate movement thereof in order to make it easier for the partsto move as for example in case the wheel gets out of alignment. Thenumerals 35 and 36 indicate first and second resilient means or coilsprings which are arranged in the cylinder 23 on opposite sides of thehead 34, and as shown in FIG. 3 for example the spring 35 is interposedbetween the head 34 and the hub 24. Similarly, the spring 36 isinterposed between the head 34 and the cap 31.

- The outer end of each of the rods 33 is provided with an enlargement37, and the numeral 38 indicates a disk or Washer which is arrangedcontiguous to the enlargemerit 37 adjacent the outer surface of the wallportion 26.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that there has been provided aresilient wheel for wheelchairs, portable hospital beds, cots and thelike, and in use with the parts arranged as shown in the drawings, aplurality of wheels 20 are adapted to be used on a member such as ahospital cot, bed, wheelchair or the like, and due to the yieldable orresilient construction thereof, the parts can move slightly from aposition such as that shown in FIG. 1 to a position such as that shownin FIG. 2 so that a person being moved such as a patient in a hospitalwill not be subjected tojolts, bumps or the like. The hub 21 is adaptedto be suitably connected to an axle of a bed or cot or wheelchair, anddue to the provision of the movable rod 33 which has the head 34 on itsinner end and the springs 35 and 36 on opposite sides of the head 34, itwill be seen that in conjunction with the yieldable tire 28, any bumpsor slight obstructions that may be encountered by the wheels will betaken up by the give of the springs 35 and 36 so that the shocks andjolts will not be transmitted to the patient being moved. The springs 35and 36 function as counter-balancing resilient means to help equalizepressure on the head 34 of the rod 33 and also function as shockabsorbers to cushion the jolts and bumps as the patient is being moved.The opening 32 is of sufficient size to permit the rod 33 to shift ormove slightly therein as, for example, when the weight of the patient onthe bed or cot causes such movement or when a bump or obstruction isencountered by the wheel. The opening 29 in the rim 25 has the rod 33extending therethrough, and the enlargement 37 is of suflicient diameteror size so as to insure that the parts will be maintained in theirproper assembled position.

The parts can be made of any suitable material and in different shapesor sizes.

The present invention is especially suitable for use as a resilientwheel construction for invalid wheelchairs, portable hospital cots andthe like, and with the present invention certain jolts to a patientbeing moved will be avoided. The wheel is constructed so that it willfunction efficiently and properly without requiring attention thereto byway of maintenance. The spokes are equally spaced apart around the hubas shown in the drawings. The parts are arranged or constructed so thatthe parts will be maintained in their proper aligned position during useof the wheel, and the hospital bed or cot or wheelchair equipped withwheels of the present invention will provide smooth transportation forpatients because any undulations in the surface such as the floor beingtraveled along will be absorbed by the springs 35 and 36. In

certain instances a suitable fluid may be arranged within the cylinder23 or it may be omitted. Due to the wheel construction of the presentinvention, as for example when a patient is being moved from anoperating room, injury to the patient will be prevented and, forexample, stitches will not be broken when a bump or undulation isencountered.

Minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details coming withinthe field of invention claimed may be resented to in actual practice, ifdesired.

What is claimed is:

In a resilient wheel for portable hospital beds, cots, wheelchairs andthe like wherein jolts and bumps to a patient will be minimized andwherein patients can be moved in a gentle manner with a minimum amountof discomfort, a hub, a plurality of similar spokes disposed radiallyaround said hub, a rim embodying an. intermediate wall portion having aplurality of spaced apart apertures therein, said rim further embodyingside wall sections which are arranged angularly with respect to saidwall portion, a yeildable tire mounted on said rim, each of said spokesembodying a fluid cylinder having its inner end fixedly secured to saidhub at the outer surface of said hub, the outer end portion of thecylinder being threaded exteriorly for a portion of its length, a caparranged in threaded engagement with the threaded portion of saidcylinder and said cap having an opening therein, a rod extending throughthe opening in said cap, and the opening in said cap being larger thansaid rod, said rod having a rounded head on its inner end and said headbeing arranged within said cylinder, the outer portions of said rodextending through the apertures in the Wall portion of said rim, firstand second coil springs disposed in said cylinder on opposite sides ofsaid head, said first coil spring being interposed between said head andhub and having its ends engaging and abutting said head and hub, saidhead terminating at a point which is coplanar with the outer end of thefirst coil spring, said second coil spring being disposed between saidhead and cap, an enlargement on the outer end of said rod, and anapertured disk aligned with the aperture in the wall portion of said rimand said disk being arranged contiguous to the outer surface of the wallportion of the rim and engaging said enlargement, said enlargement beingof sufiicient diameter and size to insure that the parts will bemaintained in their proper assembled position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 835,793 11/06Kerwin et a1 152-101 X 1,026,822 5/12 Oldham 152102 1,481,852 1/24Lazaro et al 152-101 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

